A New Day in the Sanctuary

Coming Home

Daryl POV:

It had almost been 24 hours that Hazel had been unconscious. I was sitting in the chair next to her bed in the medical center, I was leaned forward, my forearms rested on my thighs. My hands were together, my fingers interwoven and my eyes were stuck on Hazel in the bed. I felt my eyes get a little heavier the more time I spent sitting in the chair. It wouldn't hurt to fall asleep but I was more worried than I was tired. I blinked hard a few times in a row and shook my head back and forth, looking away from Hazel for just a moment, but almost immediately found myself looking back at her.

She looked a little banged up in the face, some small bruises and scratches here and there, but nothing compared to the long, angry gashes on her back. After Siddiq was done treating her back, he placed what could only be described as a very large band aid over her two large wounds, then he wrapped her in ace bandages. They started from her collarbone and extended down to her hips. I didn't realize that we had that much in the way of bandages. Following that, he put a new, large soft shirt on her that Rick had brought for her so I didn't have to leave her side. 

We laid her on her side to sleep at first so she didn't have to lay on her injured back, but she quickly rolled onto her back on her own accord while she was sleeping. I've been sitting in this chair next to her bed, waiting for her to open her beautiful emerald green eyes. She looked pale underneath all of her beautiful dark hair that was sprawled around her; most likely she was still low on blood and it was taking awhile to heal the wound without proper nutrition from the old world. The doctor said she seemed dehydrated as well. 

I sighed quietly as I looked at her longingly, waiting for her to wake up. I'd give anything just to see her eyes open and to have them soften as her gaze met mine. I wanted to hear her angelic voice say my name as our gaze met; I just wanted her to be okay. 

"Daryl, you've gotta take a little break man. You've been staring at her for hours on end," Siddiq said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "A couple of people came by earlier in the day and it's like you didn't even hear 'em. After that, Rick started shooin' everyone away," he told me. I sat up straight and looked at him. "I heard 'em just fine. Just didn't want to talk to anyone, that's all," I told him honestly. 

"Go home for a couple of hours, take care of what you need to, get something to eat, wash up, then come back here, and I'm sure she'll be awake by then," the doctor told me. I nodded to him, stood up slowly, stretching as I did so. I leaned over Hazel, bending down to give her a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back, love. Don't worry, I'll take care of you," I whispered in her ear before standing back up completely. She stirred slightly in her sleep as my hair grazed her cheek as I leaned over her. I smiled softly at her, then walked out of the medical center and toward our home.

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Two Hours Later:

I was headed back to the medical center after taking care of everything I needed to. I passed by Rick and Michonne's house, as well as the cell that was underneath their home, that Negan lived in. I was tempted to go check in with Rick to let him know that Hazel hadn't woken up yet, but instead, I found myself headed down the stairs to the cells.

I walked down quietly, not saying a word, then crossed the basement to face Negan in his cell directly. It was still dark outside, nearing morning now, but still pretty dark. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Negan's voice suddenly came out of the dark in the direction of the cot in his cell that he slept on. I turned in the direction of the sound of his voice. 

I grunted in his direction, then said, "I wanna know somethin'," I started. Negan looked to me, making eye contact briefly, then stood up slowly, walking over to the bars of his cell. "What's that?" he asked me, placing his hands on the bars.